Sewer Gas

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Hello and welcome to my Money Pit!!

Plumbing has been the bane of this new condo since I have taken ownership. I have replaced all the traps in all the sinks and one bath/shower. The second shower had begun to show signs of leaks (dry wall around the shower base is wet and distorted) and we stopped using the shower. I called my home insurance company and they sent a plumber to inspect. He felt the problem was a cracked drainpipe and estimated the repair at $1500 to tear out the shower base, go through the concrete floor and fix the pipe. The insurance company denied my claim due to "inaccesibility" (going through the concrete) and because it was outside the "four walls of the condo." SOOO .. while waiting to gather the funds to remodel and repair the shower, i now am experiencing a good volume of sewer gas which has the odor of rotten fish. It is intermitten and fills the entire condo. The trap in the shower has water in it. Where would this gas be coming from, and is a symptom of a greater problem?

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!
 

Jimbo

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If there is a crack in the drain downstream of the trap, that could allow water and sewer gas to leak out.

Regarding the insurance issue: I understand the "four walls" issue raised by the insurance company; however, in the CC&R at my condo, any pipes which serve only one unit are the responsibility of that unit. Only pipes which are "main" i.e. provide water supply or drain to more than one unit, are common area responsibilities. More importantly, my insurance covers sudden or catastrophic damage, such as a burst pipe. It specifically excludes slow leaks which persist over a period of time, and all the damage which they may cause.

Laws, CC&Rs, and insurance poilicies vary widely. You may need local legal help on this one.
 

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Thank you for the reply!

Six plumbers later... There was a leak on the showerpan seal. $10 dollars for the silicone and the gun to fix. 5 plumbers said I needed $1500-$3000 repair. Sad to see people in the business of plumbing either riping consumers off or just plain dont know what they are doing.
 

RioHyde

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So 5 out of 6 plumbers were either trying to rip you off or didnt know what they were doing? Look at the flip side of the coin. 5 out of 6 plumbers agreed that you have a bigger problem than something silicone and a caulking gun can fix. Sounds to me like you may have put a bandaid on a sucking chest wound. Of course I could be wrong....and I'm not out to rip you off and have a pretty decent knowledge of plumbing after all these years of doing it.
 
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